Search Strategies

The key to successful searching begins with understanding the question. Never hesitate to admit to the patron if you don't understand. Most people will generally be glad to explain further. You may need to start your search with a dictionary or encyclopedia for some basic background information or definitions. Once you know what the patron needs, then you can start the search.

Try to think in broad terms about what resources might answer the question. Think about the reference tools you have on hand, including the Internet, as well as tools or sources outside your library that might help. Don't overlook pamphlet files, government agencies, universities, or experts. Think about someone who might be knowledgeable about the subject. You may need to make some phone calls to potential experts or sources of information. And remember, experienced reference librarians frequently consult with their colleagues, to make sure they haven't overlooked an information source. If you work in a small library, other librarians in your area or at the State Library may be able to suggest sources. A good way to reach these librarians is to join an online discussion group such as LIBIDAHO.

Suppose a patron asks for information on setting up an electric fence for livestock and your catalog has nothing under the subject heading "electric fences." Make your search broader by searching for books on fences. If you have no books in your collection on fences or the only book you have is on the history of fences, the next step is to explore other formats. How-to information is often found in magazine articles or pamphlets. Check periodical indexes including the LiLI databases for articles on electric fences, another approach would be to refer your patron to an expert or knowledgeable source; in this case, the County Extension Agent would be a logical expert to consult.

Try to think of more than one approach to finding the answer. Can the question be restated in a way that will help you locate the information? For example, if a student is looking for a picture of a lion and your library does not have any books on lions or the big cats in general, try looking in books on Africa.

If you are having difficulty identifying correct terms for the topic, use your imagination and your catalog (or a larger catalog such as WorldCat) to help you. For example, imagine the perfect book on the subject you are interested in. What words might appear in the title? A keyword search for a book title you invent may turn up one or more good choices. Then you can use the subject headings to either find more books on the topic or use them as index terms to search for articles in the LiLI databases or other indexes. You can also identify subject headings by looking at books in your own collection and checking the back of the title page (the verso) for CIP (Cataloging in Publication) information. Subject headings are numbered with Arabic numbers (e.g., 1, 2, and 3).

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